Outback apologizes to TWRA officer in gun incident

By BRIAN GRAVES

Posted 2/4/18

The corporate offices of Outback Restaurants have apologized to a former Cleveland Police officer who now works as an officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency concerning an incident Friday evening.

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Outback apologizes to TWRA officer in gun incident

Posted
Saturday, February 3, 2018 11:05 pm

By BRIAN GRAVES

The corporate offices of Outback Restaurants have apologized to a former Cleveland Police officer who now works as an officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency concerning an incident Friday evening.

Local Facebook users lit up the site Friday night when TWRA Officer Andrew Ward posted while he was at work and had gone the steakhouse to eat supper with his wife, “I was approached by the manager and asked if I would put my gun in my truck.”

“I let her know I couldn’t because I was in uniform. We were asked to leave because Outback is a gun-free zone,” Ward said.

Ward posted Saturday that Outback had contacted him and apologized, saying “there was another customer that was ‘scared for her life’ seated across from us and had fears because ‘police are shooting people.’”

Ward said he did not blame the manager for the situation, but it brought a loud outcry from many who called for a boycott of the restaurant.

Elizabeth Watts, with Outback Steakhouse, responded to a request by the Cleveland Daily Banner early Saturday for comment on the incident.

“We have always allowed uniformed officers to carry their side arms inside our restaurants,” Watts said. “A manager made a mistake and we have discussed this with her. We have also contacted the guests and personally apologized.”